Traditionally, communications networks have grown and been developed around the needs of transporting a particular traffic type from one point to another, first with telegraph, later with voice, and most recently with a variety of data types (first analog-encoded data, and later digital and digitally encoded video). In general, each of these networks has evolved rather independently, with the traffic type and the peculiar operational and administrative requirements for that traffic type dictating the advances in network transport, call (or, more generally, circuit) control, operations and monitoring.
More precisely, PSTN has been used for sending real-time traffic like audio, and elaborate call control and service control mechanisms have been used for using circuit switches and TDM and SS7/ISUP signaling where no separation has been made between the call control and the media (or bearer) control. Later ATM network has been used for real-time multimedia (audio, video, data) communications with more sophisticated signaling mechanisms separating between the call control and media (or bearer) control where no clear specifications have been provided for service control using the well-defined complex call control ATM signaling protocol. Later on, H.323, SIP, MGCP, MEGACO, and other call control protocol have been standardized for packet telephony, and these call control protocols have been transport network agnostic. That is, they can run over LAN, IP, ATM, ATM and/or packet networks. In the transport network, it has been difficult to use all kinds of transmission facilities in a well-defined flexible way over which all call control protocols like SIP, H.323, MGCP, MEGACO, SS7/ISUP/analog/TDM, or others can be used in an integrated way that provide a complete uniform view for controlling of all call control protocols over all access and transmission technologies (e.g., Fiber/DSL/Cable, TDM/PSTN, LAN, IP, FR, ATM, wireless, satellite and others) offering services using a variety of different applications in a transparent and plug-and-play manner. Similarly, there have been no uniform operations and monitoring across all transmissions facilities, call control entities, and application servers of the network.
At times, integration between networks carrying the different traffic types progresses along one or more dimensions. For example, fiber optic transmission facilities are now largely, if not exclusively, employed for transmission of all communication network types (wireless networks notwithstanding). Similarly, some carriers have co-located Network Operations Centers (NOCs) for different services. Occasionally, NOCs employ integrated monitoring systems that are capable of associating the services and traffic carried with the facility. In these cases, troubles can quickly be associated with service type and customer.
Even with the achievements of integrating network types, integration along the dimension of network traffic control and service control has not advanced. Generally, services are still assigned fixed facilities, or parts of facilities within otherwise integrated transmission facilities, and the apparatus that controls traffic within the service domain remains logically if not physically (and usually both) separate from functionally similar apparatus that controls traffic for another service.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for providing integrated connection and call control services, service resources, and network operations for modern, multi-service communications networks.